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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bark — to shout
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. wind — moving air
  11. root — the cause
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. root — of a word
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. root — of a plant
  22. content — the amount
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wave — with your hand

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com